11-year-old leads his church's music ministry

Published 6:00 pm, Saturday, February 2, 2008

Prodded by his mother on a recent Sunday, De'Andre Nico walked over to a woman to sing her a soulful "Happy Birthday."

Diners at Ryan's Family Steakhouse in Beaumont strained their necks to look at the man-child. About 20 left their seats and formed a crowd. When he finished, they clamored to shake his hand.

Others scrambled in their purses to find something, anything, he could autograph. Some grabbed napkins.

The performance was impromptu. The skillful singing was anything but.

At age 11, De'Andre has shared the stage with gospel great Kurt Carr and has sung at the world-famous Apollo Theatre. Last year, he sang at Joel Osteen's mega worship center, Lakewood Church in Houston.

This spring, he will play young Luther Vandross in a stage play produced by Marvelous Entertainment, a gospel theater production company in California. His manager, minister Johnny Jeremiah, is negotiating rights to a movie role.

The son of Johnna and Darryl Nico, De'Andre was born after doctors told Johnna she could have no more children.

"He was a miracle from the beginning," Johnna said.

The child's musical talents and passion for ministry were evident at a young age, family members say.

At age 3, he sang his first solo at his church. And while at home, De'Andre would sing in the bathroom or repeat parts of the pastor's message while anointing people with oil.

His pastor and uncle, Eric Brisco Sr., recalled how De'Andre at age 8 provided a music offering at a church anniversary service. The person who was supposed to sing a solo was sick and did not show up.

"I had been watching De'Andre as he came up," Brisco, pastor of New Beginning Ministries in Port Arthur, said. "I decided that he could sing, and that would be a gift."